Safe and arm systems for munitions including weapons, explosives, and the like are well known and typically require the activation of more than one switch and/or the use of special keys or codes in order to fire the weapon, detonate a blasting cap, launch a missile, or the like. Many such systems are complex and expensive.
The applicant's successful Talon™ robot is used by the military, for example, to remotely inspect possible dangerous scenarios including road side bombs. The Talon™ robot can be equipped with munitions such as a weapon, a blasting cap, and other explosive devices. It is important that the fire control subsystem for such a robot ensures the munition is not activated or fired unintentionally. Unintentional firing could occur when the fire control subsystem is first connected to the munition in the proximity of the user with or without power supplied to the robot, when the robot is powered and then driven to a desired location, and/or upon the robot's return to its user.
No known system provides safe multi-device firing capability in a way that prevents inadvertent firing sequences in a simple and secure manner. Complex and expensive safe and arm systems cannot be used in connection with a robot such as the Talon™ robot and any safe and arm system for such a robot must be compact, simple in design, and inexpensive.